CHOCOLATE TOXICITY

A SWEET TOOTH FOR SUDDEN DEATH

Many people think of chocolate as the ultimate treat, but this innocent, but fattening treat can be deadly for dogs.

A lively family pet, finding an open bag of chocolates, wolfed them down, the owner thought little of it and just clean up the mess. That evening the dog collapsed and died.

What would cause a healthy dog to die so suddenly, a new canine virus, no, the ailment was a little known, but nonetheless deadly problem called Chocolate Toxicosis, or chocolate poisoning. The element in the chocolate that it is so deadly to dogs is a substance called Theobromine. The size of the dog and the type of chocolate have a bearing on the amount of “GOODIE” that will cause toxic results.

So chocolate is not a treat that pet owners should dole out to their unsuspecting but loving canine friends.

The unsweetened or baking chocolate is the most dangerous as it contains the highest percentage of theobromine per ounce; 400MG per ounce as compared to 45MG per ounce in milk chocolate.

Usually toxic symptoms will occur when 100MG of theobromine are ingested per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of animal’s weight. So a 10-pound poodle can succumb with the ingestion of just 1 ounce of baking chocolate.

The chart below shows the toxic amount of milk chocolate and baking chocolate for various weights of dogs. Although these show life – threatening levels, ingestion of smaller amounts can cause your pet to experience considerable discomfort.

DANGEROUS QUANTITIES OF CHOCOLATE

I did not include the chart for some people may use that info for the wrong reasons.

IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR DOG HAS EATEN CHOCOLATE CONSULT A VETERINARIAN AT ONCE! !

The symptoms of theobromine poisoning are numerous and they appear within a few hours or up to a day after the chocolate ingestion. Chocolate stays in the animals stomach a long time. As the theobromine is absorbed into the bloodstream, the animal can exhibit the following symptoms.

1. Vomiting

2. Diarrhoea

3. Diuresis (Urinary Incontinence)

4. Hypoactivity

5. Rapid Breathing / heartbeat

6. Muscle tremors

7. Seizures

8. Coma

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There is no antidote for theobromine poising. Treatment is geared towards supporting the animal’s basic life functions, preventing further absorption of the chocolate, hastening elimination, and treating the symptoms. If less than 2 hours have passed since the ingestion, the first step is to induce vomiting.

This should get rid of 70% of the stomach’s contents. The Chocolate can melt and form a ball in the stomach, which can be difficult to remove.

If the dog has eaten an amount that can be toxic (see chart) it is not enough to just induce vomiting. The animal should be placed under the care of a veterinarian until the danger is passed. The vet will give the dog-repeated doses of activated charcoal to move the poison through the system faster and with less absorption. The vital signs (heart rate and respiration) must be carefully monitored during this treatment

The best treatment is prevention of the accidental ingestion. Keep dog out of danger by:

1. Never leave chocolate unattended within easy reach of your pet.

2. Never feed chocolate candy as a treat.

3. Never assume an animal is fine if it vomits after eating chocolate.

IF YOU SUSPECT CHOCOLATE TOXICOSIS CONSULT A VETERINARIAN AT ONCE! !

I have given this subject to you as a Miniature Pinscher is usually a family pet with children and children love Chocolate.

Please make sure children understand that the pet must NOT be given chocolate for any reason.